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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · firm · pitcher · fall · rash · rule · mug · wound

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — decided
  11. rash — hasty
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — to drop
  15. firm — a company
  16. rash — a series
  17. rule — government
  18. mug — to rob
  19. firm — steady
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rule — a law
  22. fall — the season
  23. mug — a face
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com